Starting the herd...

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OldGrouch

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First one, more to follow. Nigerian Dwarf doe about 18 months old, just dropped twin bucklings 2 days ago. Seller sold kids as bottle babies and we were able to get her this morning. She is still very timid. We milked her for the first time this evening and she was a pro.

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Rushed together a milk stand today...

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She took to it well,

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Should be getting another NG doe with 1 day old doeling tomorrow so she will have some companions.

--Dwight
 
I have a registered ADGA Nigerian Dwarf buck for sale if you are interested. Champion bloodlines, proven buck. Message me for more info if interested in him.
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Here are two of his kids born yesterday. (Born 3/1/2018)
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I have a registered ADGA Nigerian Dwarf buck for sale if you are interested. Champion bloodlines, proven buck. Message me for more info if interested in him.

Good looking buck! As part of our purchase of the does the seller will provide a buck as needed. That way we don't have to feed one full time and also easier to keep diversity in the bloodlines. Thanks LastO for letting us know and also for sharing the photo.

--Dwight
 
Guess it's time to post an update... Lost both doelings... first night one was crushed by her mama laying on her, 2nd just got sick faster than I could get her to the vet. And.. yesterday got a NGD/Boar mix doe, when I went to put all in the stall the other goats "had a fit" so as I was moving her to the other stall she got lose and made a beeline for the mountains. Most of the neighbors, and us, spent the evening trying to fid her but she was long gone. Not a good evening.... --Dwight
 
My wife calls them "bought lessons".... First doling lost could happen to anyone. 2nd I just didn't recognize the symptoms soon enough, will be far more alert/observant in the future. 3rd time (lost Doe) I simply got in a hurry and didn't follow the 2 gate rule I was taught growing up... that has been corrected, LOL

-Dwight
 
Time for another update: Bought a LaMancha doe about a week after loosing the NGD/Buck mix doe. She is so sweet! Then earlier this week we bought a NGD trio of 3 month olds, two doelings and a buckling, all registered so Grandkids are planning on showing them with 4-H.


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Life is blessed on our farmette! --Dwight
 
well... this post is hard to write... had to wait a bit to even be able to face doing this... a week ago Sunday we lost our little buckling.... I was holding him when he passed... probable cause was urinary calculi. We worked with him for three days... The seller that we got him and the doelings from hung in there with us by text and phone calls through the whole ordeal. Now the good news. The seller is replacing him with his twin brother at no cost to us. There are good people in this world! --Dwight
 
I had a young buckling develope urinary calculi over a weekend I wasn't here when I first started my goat heard. Got him to the vet as soon as I had gotten home but it was to late. He couldn't do anything except put him down. It is heartbreaking and I am so sorry. Bucks have a tendency to get this over the females from what my vet told me and to give the bucks some calcium chloride to break up any crystals that may develope. But it also could have been the supplemental feed I was giving him which was an all stock sweet feed. Vet told me just because it had a picture of a goat on the bag didn't mean it was good for them. It has to say goat. I don't know what you are feeding but just passing this along. It was a lesson I learned the hard way.
 
But it also could have been the supplemental feed I was giving him which was an all stock sweet feed. Vet told me just because it had a picture of a goat on the bag didn't mean it was good for them. It has to say goat. I don't know what you are feeding but just passing this along.

Feeding them a medicated goat starter, but it doesn't have any ammonium chloride mixed in it. Seller says the bucks need that. In hindsight I should have scanned the label from the feed bag and emailed it to our seller to review... I also toss a spoon of minerals in with the feed. --Dwight
 
Feeding them a medicated goat starter, but it doesn't have any ammonium chloride mixed in it. Seller says the bucks need that. In hindsight I should have scanned the label from the feed bag and emailed it to our seller to review... I also toss a spoon of minerals in with the feed. --Dwight
I
Yes, I stand corrected ammonium chloride. . . I just went and double checked after reading your comment. Dont beat your self up about it. . .Unfortunately we all have had to deal with hard lessons in life and learn as we go sometimes. I know when first starting out, I did a lot of assuming when it came to goat f eed, especially thinking it would have everything g they would need to stay healthy. What I didn't take into consideration was the fact that some areas lack certain minerals where other areas did not.
 
I add the ammonium chloride to some peanut butter and powdered sugar. The ac is aparently nasty and my boys won't eat it in other forms. I have one that will dump his minerals that includes the ac. To make sure they get it I make the bucks a PB, sugar, ac sandwich every week. They think its a treat and love them.
 
I had a goat when I was a kid. Her name was Nita,she followed me everywhere and even chased the car when we left. She was never in a pen always hung out in yard.
She ate whatever was around in the woods and fields in Georgia. I guess mama gave her feed ,don't remember. Sometimes I wonder if it is not the feed that makes them sick?
Nita was kidnapped by our neighbor who Bar B Qed her. Mama was really mad. She went to ask if they saw a goat and walked up on them cooking her. She told them ever catch them on her property and they would be shot on site. Back then you could protect what was yours.
Nita would lay by the gate and wait till we got home ,so thats where they took her.
 
I
Yes, I stand corrected ammonium chloride. . . I just went and double checked after reading your comment.

Took me a bit to catch that, missed it earlier.

When I first bought feed for the babies I called the seller and handed the phone to the clerk as it was all more than I could mentally absorb at onetime.:) --Dwight
 
I've been slow providing an update, lots of changes.

First is I figured out that the original NDG goats were instead Alpines... BIG:( lesson leaned there....

So, found a great home for all the large goats, took awhile though. Now have 5 registered NDG's 3 does, 1 buck and 1 wither. Grandkids showed 2 of the doelings in the local fair, one got Grand Champion in it's class and the other placed third. All were born Feb/Mar 2018.

I have read that a good seller is a invaluable bonus and.... she has proven that to be a fact. She checks on our goats often and is always ready to answer questions.

Warmest Holiday Greetings to all.

--Dwight & MissKitty
 

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